Luaka Bop
Chris Parkin on how David Byrne’s 30-year-old Luaka Bop label has shone the spotlight on talents such as William Onyeabor and Alice Coltrane – and continues to uncover the eclectic…
Chris Parkin
When David Byrne founded Luaka Bop in 1988, naming it after a packet of Sri Lankan tea he’d recently bought, there was no plan. He just wanted to reissue some overlooked Brazilian music from the 60s Tropicália scene, maybe even a few Cuban compilations. Even without a manifesto, though, Luaka Bop has crafted an enviable identity, from its masonic logo to its niche for unearthing music with amazing stories. Now the label, presided over since the late 80s by Yale Evelev, is telling its most curious tale yet.